Defence Blog Posts

The first F-35 Lightning fighter jets have landed on the deck of the United Kingdom’s new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, making history and marking the beginning of more than half-a-century of ‘Carrier Strike’ operations. Royal Navy Commander Nathan Gray and RAF Squadron Leader Andy Edgell were the first pilots to land their stealth F-35 […]

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The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that the UK will continue to have a military presence in Germany beyond 2020. Around 185 British Army personnel and 60 Ministry of Defence civilians will remain in Germany, once the withdrawal of British Army units to the UK has been completed. Army personnel will be permanently based […]

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Exercise Combined Joint Atlantic Serpent 2018 (Ex CJAS 18), the annual collective training event for deployed hospital care within the Joint Medical Group, reaches its conclusion today. The exercise began on 22 September and delivered a multinational field hospital supported by up to 400 medical personnel. Since 2014, UK and US medical personnel have been […]

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The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a $289 million contract to continue development of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS). Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will upgrade IBCS engagement operations centres and integrated fire control network relays to improve performance, reliability and maintainability. New software will integrate Patriot system […]

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The Defence Minister Gavin Williamson has made two major announcements for the future of British warships, as he named a new frigate HMS Birmingham and revealed he is protecting HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion. Mr Williamson confirmed that one of Britain’s new cutting-edge Type 26 frigates will be called HMS Birmingham, becoming the fourth Royal […]

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A series of new schemes and initiatives created to support serving personnel and their families throughout their military careers and beyond, has been announced by the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. The new package will help the Armed Forces throughout their careers by offering a renewed focus on personal development and creating a support network for […]

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Nick Ford, Executive Director of procurement advisory company, Odesma, explains to Defence Online why the careful management of tail spend in defence can lead to greater investment in other key strategic areas.  In defence, as in most industries, resources available to procurement are limited. As such, managers must prioritise purchases and optimise their supply chains. Many Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) consider small or tail spend unimportant during […]

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Ken Skates AM, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, has been confirmed as the latest name to appear at Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2019. The event, taking place at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on 28 March next year, will see Ken deliver a keynote address take alongside Stuart Andrew MP, Parliamentary […]

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The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced a new Defence Arctic Strategy, which recognises the growing opportunities and threats. The strategy will look to enhance the Ministry of Defence’s focus on the Arctic, underlined by our current commitments in the region and future deployments. The change in the natural environment in the Arctic and High […]

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The US Navy has awarded six of its next Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to Ingalls Shipbuilding and four to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, worth a total of $9 billion. Huntington Ingalls Industries  secured a deal worth $5.1 billion for the design and construction of six DDG-51 class ships, while General Dynamics Bath Iron Works have […]

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The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced a new scheme that will help develop the next generation of cyber security experts as part of efforts to help protect our the UK against sophisticated and evolving threats. The Cadets CyberFirst programme, delivered by Ministry of Defence cadet organisations and the GCHQ National Cyber Security Centre, will […]

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The US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin have agreed an $11.5 billion contract for the production and delivery of 141 F-35 aircraft at the lowest per aircraft price in program history. For the eleventh consecutive year, the cost of an F-35A was lowered.  The F-35A unit price including aircraft, engine and fee, is $89.2 million. This represents […]

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